The Artist

Farrar Brodhead; Artist Statement

My work is an exploration of the outside, often of wilderness but more recently including wild and quiet within cities as well. I am always conscious of the ongoing destruction and loss of our wild places, of the impact of climate change on our lives and those of our children. I want to touch people’s imaginations and memories of the outside, creating or building a further desire to protect it.

I turn to wilderness to find peace, calm, inspiration, adventure, and to learn. My pieces at times try to find the beauty in a waterfall, or perhaps the challenge in a climb to the peak, or to remind you of places that you’ve loved and possibly forgotten. The pieces at other times search for more evasive quiet and wild beauty, like walking down a deserted street at night in a snowstorm, reminding us of the power of nature, yet also it’s tranquility and ability to transform. There is magic here.

Emily Carr and the Group of Seven have been powerful influences on my work, their passion for Canadian places speaks to me. Edward Burtynsky’s photographs have been deeply thought-provoking, particularly as I search to understand human impact on the world. Several Northwest coast artists have also pushed me to think in new ways, outside of my own cultural box, particularly Bruce Alfred, Tony Hunt and Doug Cranmer. Alex Janvier’s work has caught me with its movement.

Exploring outside changes my inner person and how I view the world, finding peace, then inspiration and action. Seeking wild places and moments, both isolated and in the middle of a city, to comment on our incredible luck to be a part of it all, and our need to protect them. Art can offer hope and creative thinking, light in the dark.

Farrar Brodhead: Biography

Farrar was born in Alert Bay, British Columbia, and has lived and worked all over Canada and the world, exploring wild places in each spot. Her training began informally in a house filled with opportunities for art and music, and continued more formally in Visual Arts at Canterbury High School in Ottawa, Ontario. She began painting with watercolours while living in Victoria, BC, at the age of twenty-eight. She has participated in several art shows near Ottawa, one in New York State, and the Ottawa Watercolour Society's 79th and 82nd Juried Shows. Recently she has started working with The Electric Street Gallery. She was also asked to be the Artist in Residence for the Adirondack Interpretive Center in New York Sate, during the summer of 2020 (unfortunately postponed due to Covid 19). Art was an ongoing theme throughout her professional career as a community and youth facilitator, offering another medium to work through challenging discussions and across differences. As she works as a full time caregiver of two fun young people, creativity continues to play a key role in their family life.